Out of Sight

Abi looked up to find Will standing beside the table, gesturing to the seat beside her, and her heart began to beat double time. So he did want to sit with her. But was it a good idea? She didn’t want to be rude. It wasn’t his fault she had some sort of weird fascination with him.

“Um, no,” she said, inviting him to sit.

He pulled out the chair and sat down, so casual and at ease, she felt silly for feeling nervous. His hair was damp and he smelled like some sort of masculine soap. “How did the rest of the hike go this afternoon?”

“It was good.” she said, trying to look not at him but at her food.

“Looks like Eric has a new friend.”

Abi followed the direction of Will’s gaze and saw Eric sitting across the room with Noah. Noah was gabbing away about something, his mouth moving a mile a minute. He’d been stuck to Eric’s side the second half of the hike and had followed him around like a lost puppy the rest of the afternoon. It had to be driving Eric crazy by now, but he sat quietly listening to Noah yammer on.

As she’d suspected, he was a good kid at heart.

“I was just in the office,” she told Will. “I didn’t see your name on the sign-up sheet.”

He flashed that crooked grin. “Checking up on me, huh?”

She refused to be rattled by his charm. “That’s my job.”

“I said I would think about it.”

“And?”

He shrugged. “And I’m still thinking.”

“Mommy!”

Abi looked up to find Adam barreling toward her, his little legs carrying him as quickly as they could, followed by Renee, one of the junior counselors. As it always did, her heart filled with so much love and pride at the sight of his happy face she thought it might burst. She’d never truly learned to love until she’d become a mother. Until she’d felt her baby kick the first time. Until he was born and she’d gazed down into his perfect little face, counted all ten fingers and toes. It was then that she’d finally felt complete, as if she’d found her purpose.

He was the only thing in the world that mattered to her now.

Adam launched himself into her arms and she pulled him up in her lap, ruffling his short dark hair. “Hey, kiddo, did you have a good picnic?”

“I made you a present!” Adam said, squirming excitedly. “Show her, Renee!”

“Okay, okay,” Renee said with a laugh, handing Abi Adam’s latest creation—several Popsicle sticks glued together to form an abstract shape covered with blue and gold glitter. Some of it flaked off and landed on her plate.